Where Shadows Follow
by TheDoctor1194
Summary: When Hueco Mundo vanishes and the connection between the Living World and Soul Society is shattered, sinister creatures emerge from the darkness to wreak havoc upon all worlds. Cut off from help, Ichigo and Company must find a way to protect their world from the encroaching void and get to the bottom of this invasion before all is lost to Darkness.
1. Chapter One: The Shadow Falls

**Hello everyone, a quick note before we begin, this story is set after the Xcution arc, but operates as though the Thousand Year Blood War will not happen. I decided to do this because that arc is ongoing, leaving enough things unresolved that I don't want to risk implementing it, though some aspects, such as revealed history, will be playing a role later.**

**The rating is given mostly for violence, though things will get pretty dark before it's done, so count this as your warning.**

**I hope you enjoy the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters.**

**Chapter One: The Shadow Falls**

* * *

Two posts jutted out from a rocky cliff face. The space between them warped and twisted beneath the bright, sunless sky. To the side at the base of the cliff, a man crouched, examining a panel of circuitry and tangled wires housed within the rock spire.

"Are you getting any feedback?" he asked into a small phone.

"Negative," a voice responded. "There's not even an echo."

"Have you adjusted for a shift in temporal isolation?"

"Of course!" the voice answered indignantly. "Do you mean to insult me?! I'll have you know-"

"Come now, Kurotsuchi-san," Urahara interrupted in a carefree tone. "You know as well as I do that we need to have all of our bases covered in a situation like this." His voice became graver as he continued. "For an entire dimension to have disappeared, we can't be too careful."

"Of course," Kurotsuchi answered with irritation. "Have you ruled out any form of interference?"

"Now you're insulting me!" Urahara cried in mock hurt. Kurotsuchi remained silent, likely fuming at the man's ridiculous behavior.

"The only thing that could cause interdimensional interference like this is another dimension, which we have no evidence for. It seems more likely that something has gone wrong within Hueco Mundo itself."

"Such as?"

"I have no clue!"

Urahara had to pull the phone away from his ear as a sudden alarm sounded from the other end.

"Kurotsuchi-san! What's happening!?"

"..rea..ng…fluct….sp….coming!" The captain answered through thick static.

"I can't understand you! Say again!" He didn't get to wait for another answer because suddenly the warped space between the posts was torn open. To his astonishment, he saw something other than the empty blackness of a garganta. He could see a black, moonlit sky. He stared curiously at the scene.

"Well, I found it," he said quietly to himself. "But why is it so close?"

A flash of orange light in the darkness sent him diving for cover as a ball of fire flew through the portal and burst upon the ground with a deafening explosion. He gathered himself, shakily, brushing the dust off of his hat before replacing it on his head. As the smoke cleared, he saw five figures. They didn't have a prevailing skin color as their skin was riddled with scars and burns, horribly disfigured in some places and blackened in others. Pale, pink stripes wrapped around them, almost as if forming a pattern. The smallest one had frizzy white hair. His face was tight as though permanently sniffing the air. The stripes wrapped around his scrawny frame in the image of a rat.

Next to him was a woman. Of the five, she was the only one with smooth skin. She wore a crimson robe, and would have been quite beautiful were her face not marred by the empty black eyes and obsidian teeth that they all shared. Across her arms were the markings of a viper, and her hair was a toxic green.

She leaned on the man to her left, tall and well built. He wore a contemporary, brown suit, and his eyes, despite their emptiness, seemed to sparkle with intelligence. On his cheek was the mark of a dragon.

The next man was by far the largest. He wore only a ragged set of grey pants. He had no mark like the others, but out of his thick, blonde hair sprouted two horns. He breathed heavily as if he was barely able to restrain himself from attacking whatever was put before him.

The last was the least intimidating. He bore a moth shaped marking on his arm and carried a lazy expression on his face. His fingers were long and nimble, tipped with sharp, black claws.

"Abare," the woman pouted. "You missed him."

The horned man, presumably Abare, grunted angrily. "I won't next time," he said, a ball of fire springing to life in his palm.

"Now, now," Urahara said in his most placating voice, "There's no need to get violent. Why don't you just tell me who you are and why you're here."

The woman laughed. "If you knew that, you would welcome the fire. So really, we're doing you a favor."

Abare tossed the fireball. The shop owner's eyes went wide as it approached, detonating with a resounding _BOOM!_ Abare laughed wildly at the destruction, until the smoke cleared. Urahara still stood there, protected by a glowing, crimson shield.

"My, my," he said darkly. "It seems I'm being underestimated. Sing, Benihime!"

A crimson flash raced towards the group, and four of them leapt away. The smallest, however, just stood there, one hand raised. As the blast was about to strike, it turned and raced back toward Urahara. The shop-keeper's eyes widened and he leapt into the air to avoid the attack.

"Gotcha!"

The man in the suit was approaching from his left, ready to strike, but before he reached him, Urahara was driven back by a powerful force. For a brief moment he saw his opponent standing where he had just a moment before, then his view was eclipsed by the large man they called Abare, a fireball in each hand. Urahara raised his sword to defend, his crimson shield springing up in front of him. One fireball struck, the force driving him towards the ground, but the second flew past him, and he was driven into the explosion. He rose shakily, his vision swimming as the five approached, black teeth showing in sickening grins as they closed in for the kill...

* * *

_ Karakura Town – Two Hours Later_

"Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiichiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigooooooooooooooooo-!" The shrill voice of Asano Keigo rang throughout the school, cut off suddenly when the orange haired Substitute caught him in a clothes line, effectively shutting him up.

"How cruel…" Keigo muttered before collapsing.

"Good morning, Ichigo," Tatsuki greeted as he entered the classroom, ignoring the fact that Mizuiro prodded the still form of Keigo with a stick.

"Good morning," he greeted back.

"You know, you're going to cause him some serious brain damage one of these days."

"I think it's too late for that."

"You're probably right," she admitted.

"Okay class! Everyone take your seats!" Ochi-sensei called from the front. "Asano, get off the floor and take your seat!"

Ochi-sensei began taking role, picking out troublesome absentees as usual, before starting her lecture. Ichigo was staring out of the window, lost in thought. After what happened with Xcution, Chad had begun attending class again. He had caught up quickly with Ishida's help, and a brief, difficult to undertand scolding from Inoue. Everyone seemed to be recovering well. The others had been informed about the return of his powers, though they didn't really talk about it. Ishida had also stepped back from dealing with hollows to allow him a chance to readjust to his position as a shinigami.

Ochi-sensei was telling a story about one of her vacations to Spain in which she had participated in the Running of the Bulls. What that had to do with the lesson was anyone's guess. She was encouraged to continue when several heads shot up at once, though her encouragement could only be attributed to the fact that she couldn't hear the shrill alarm echoing from Ichigo's pocket. He stood up and raced out the door, calling back something about going to the bathroom when Ochi-sensei called after him.

He found the hollow on the other side of town, a large, hideous thing with boar like tusks protruding from its mask and snake like limbs. It was cackling as it chased the soul of a small boy through the streets.

"Hey you!" the Substitute Shinigami called down.

The hollow looked up just in time to see the edge of Zangetsu descending upon him. It tried to slither away, yelping in surprise, but it was no use. The massive sword bisected it in a moment. Ichigo turned to the boy as the hollow faded away, and the child let out a cry of terror when he crouched down in front of him.

"Relax," Ichigo said, still scowling. "I'm not going to hurt you." He pressed the bottom of Zangetsu's hilt against the boy's forehead, and the child relaxed, disappearing in a flash of light.

"You know, you really shouldn't scare children like that," a voice said to his left.

"Rukia," he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Her face was grim, as she answered, her violet eyes showing none of their usual mirth.

"Come on; I'll explain on the way."

* * *

The air was heavy in the shop. Around the small coffee table sat Ichigo, Rukia, Inoue, Ishida, Chad, Renji, Tessai, and Yoruichi. Ururu sat in a corner, sobbing quietly while Jinta brooded beside her. In the middle of the table sat Urahara's hat. It had been badly burned along with most of the underground training room.

"Let me recap what we know," Yoruichi said grimly. "Three hours ago, Kurotsuchi Mayuri lost contact with Kisuke. Before that, they had been investigating some anomalies in the connection to Hueco Mundo. The Institute of Research and Technology received a proximity alert as Hueco Mundo began approaching our dimension. This is when they lost contact. The senkaimon was rerouted to provide a buffer against dimensional impact. An hour later, the crisis was averted, but the anomaly reappeared. Tessai and the rest of us were out at the time, but when we returned we found the lower level on fire and…and Kisuke's hat, but no sign of him." She grimaced at the last part, obviously concerned for her friend and chiding herself for being away.

"Kuchiki and Abarai arrived soon after to investigate why he wasn't responding," she continued. "The rest of you arrived soon after that."

"What could have happened down there?" Ichigo wondered aloud.

"You mentioned that he was investigating an anomaly," Ishida said. "What was it?"

"Hueco Mundo…disappeared."

"What!?" Ichigo exclaimed.

"How is that possible?" Renji demanded.

"We don't know. That's why they were investigating it. The garganta became inoperative, and none of our instruments could detect the dimension."

"Forgive me, Yoruichi-dono," Tessai interjected, "But I think we must consider that there is more to this than the vanishing of a dimension."

"What do you mean?" Inoue asked.

"The training area is almost entirely dust and rock, yet it was burning. On top of this, there were signs of a struggle as well as residual reiatsu signatures that I have never seen before. I think it is safe to say that someone or something attacked him."

"Do you think he's dead?" All eyes turned to Ichigo who had asked the question, and Ururu burst out into fresh tears. He was tense and didn't meet anyone's eyes. Rukia gave him a concerned look. While Urahara was annoying, he was still, technically, Ichigo's teacher. Something like this had to shake him badly.

"All we have to go on is his hat," Renji answered when no one else would. "If he's dead, then where's the body? But it doesn't look good. I think the best we could hope for is that he has been captured." He paused to let that sink in before continuing quickly. "Whatever the case is, this needs to be reported to Seireitei. I'll deliver the news. Rukia, you should stay here to keep an eye on things."

"Agreed," Rukia answered.

"I will prepare your gigai, Kuchiki-dono," Tessai said, standing and walking to another room.

* * *

Later that evening, Ichigo and Rukia were walking back to the Kurosaki Clinic. Neither spoke as both seemed lost in thought. Every few minutes, Rukia would look over to see a semi-troubled expression on Ichigo's face. She hated seeing him like that. It wasn't as if she wasn't worried about the shop-keeper's fate, but she wasn't about to sulk, and she certainbly wasn't going to put up with him sulking. He had gotten away with too much of that during the time they were separated.

"Are you scared?" she asked. It was a challenge. He looked over at her, his expression not lightening, though a defiant fire could be seen in his eyes.

He sighed, looking up at the fading sky. The sunset cast azure streaks across the clouds that danced in a fiery glow or orange and red. It was several minutes before he said anything.

"I'm not afraid," he finally answered. "But what ever can get to Geta-Boshi is pretty serious."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"That's easy. When it shows up again, I'm going to beat the crap out of it!"

"Just try not to get yourself killed, Strawberry," she quipped, though her tone didn't betray the fact that she was only half joking.

"Whatever you say, Midget." That earned him a blow to the head.

They settled into a more comfortable silence as the sun set behind them and their thoughts spiraled into the darkness ahead.


	2. Chapter Two: What One Sows

**And here we go with chapter two!**

**Thanks to Isame Kuroda for the review of chapter one.**

**To answer some of your questions, I intend to give a good focus to each of the characters. You'll see in this chapter that I start switching perspectives between characters. I can already tell you that there will be chapters where Ichigo will not appear. As for his power, I don't think you'll be disappointed.**

**I don't necessarily think a pairing would ruin it, some of the best stories I've seen on this site include them. As for my story, the closest thing you can expect to a pairing would be along the lines of "BLEACH: Hollow Heart, Memories in the Rain Reprise" by Takaondo. So it would be implied at the most. I would rather focus on the bonds of friendship between them, and I'm checking back with the manga to make sure I keep them in character as best as I can. I don't think I would write very good "fluff".**

**I hope you all enjoy the story!**

**Chapter Two: What One Sows...**

* * *

Things were fairly quiet at the Kurosaki house that night. In the living room, Karin was playing a street racing game, cheering occasionally when she managed to wreck one of her opponents. In the kitchen, Yuzu was cleaning the dishes, scrubbing furiously in her irritation. She had been thrilled when Ichigo had returned to his old self. The tired resignation in his eyes had been incredibly painful to witness during the past year and a half. She had been overjoyed to see the return of his former resolve, even if it meant that he would be fighting again. Since the return of his powers, something she had learned of shortly after being freed from Tsukishima's influence, she had determined to redouble her efforts to make their household a sanctuary for him for as long as he was able to stay, even to the point that she no longer questioned Karin's methods for reining in their father's antics. Earlier that evening, however, she had received a rude shock.

She had been in the process of making dinner, the air was filled with a delicious aroma accompanied by the sounds of sizzling meat and her cheerful humming, when the front door opened and closed. She looked up in surprise to see Rukia walking in. She laughed excitedly as Karin also noticed, tossing her controller to the ground and racing to greet her.

"Rukia-chan!" Karin called.

"Rukia-nee!" Yuzu cried as the two practically crushed the petite shinigami in a double bear hug.

"Oof!" came the response as Rukia struggled to regain her balance. She eventually righted herself and returned the hug. "Hey, you two," she said fondly. "It's good to see you again."

"I didn't know you were visiting," Karin said pulling away first.

"Well, it was a bit sudden," she replied with some reluctance. Something was wrong. She seemed tense and alert, even though her expression was cheerful at seeing them. Yuzu's first thought was that something had happened to her brother, but her fear was alleviated a moment later when said teen entered the room.

His expression was stern, clearly on edge for the same reason Rukia was, but he didn't do quite so good a job of hiding it.

"Yuzu, Karin, where's dad?" he asked.

"In the clinic," Karin answered, gesturing to the connecting door. From her expression, she had clearly noticed that something was off as well.

"Thanks," Ichigo answered, walking away.

As the door to the clinic closed, Rukia smiled gently at the two sisters. "Don't worry," she said. "I'll keep him out of trouble."

Karin visibly relaxed at her words and returned to her game. Yuzu, however, was still worried, though she decided not to pursue it, instead, allowing Rukia to follow Ichigo into the clinic.

Now she was cleaning the dishes, the uneaten food stored in containers and put away. Another cheer from Karin finally pushed her to her snapping point. She forcefully set down the post she was washing and strode from the kitchen.

"Yuzu!" Karing called to her in concern.

"I'm going to bed," she called back.

"Yuzu!"

Yuzu paused. There was no concern in the second call. Karin's tone had changed to one that she had rarely heard from the tough girl. Fear. She quickly returned to the living room to see her twin staring out the window, a look of apprehension plastered on her face as she stared down some unseen entity.

"Get Ichi-nee," she said quietly, voice tense and edgy. "Now."

Yuzu didn't see anything, but she knew well enough to take her sister seriously on such matters, so without another word she ran to the clinic door to find the three shinigami.

* * *

Rukia watched as Kurosaki Isshin digested the information that Ichigo had just provided. His normally jovial face was a stern mask, hinting at the deeper intelligence he usually hid from others through his goofy demeanor. Even she had been shocked to learn the truth about his identity as a shinigami, though considering Ichigo's power, it seemed appropriate. It even made sense of a lot of things. She knew there was more to the story than what he had revealed, but Ichigo was insistent that he would talk about it when he was ready.

The older man sighed. "This is very serious," he said gravely. "Have you heard anything from Soul Society since Abarai went to report?"

"Not yet," Rukia answered, pulling out her spirit phone. What she saw on the screen made her pause.

"This is strange. I don't have a signal."

"What?" Ichigo said in surprise. "How is that possible? I thought you said that thing can't break."

"It can't!" she insisted. "It's maintained through a link with Soul Society. That's how it can track Hollows."

"So what's going on?"

"She's right," Isshin interjected. "As long as that phone is linked with Soul Society, it can't break. "It means that the phone can't establish a connection with Soul Society."

"But, does that mean...?"

"We need to check." Isshin slipped on a red glove, the likes of which Rukia hadn't seen since Ichigo had first started as a substitute. He pressed it to his chest and stepped back from his body. Withdrawing Engetsu, he thrust it forward into the air.

The other two shinigami watched for a moment to see what he would do. After a few breaths, he lowered his sword and turned back to them.

"I can't open the senkaimon," he declared.

"What!?" Ichigo shouted.

"That...that can't be," Rukia stated in disbelief. She could feel her heart drop wondering what could have caused this. Had something happened in Soul Society? Was Renji okay? What about her brother? She chose to ignore those thoughts for the moment.

"Could we use Urahara's senkaimon?" Ichigo asked.

"Do you know how?" Isshin responded.

"I wonder if this is linked with Urahara's disappearance," Rukia pondered aloud.

"It seems unlikely to be a coincidence," Isshin responded, his tone grave. "For now, we should..."

He was interrupted suddenly when Yuzu burst into the room.

"Brother!" she shouted. "Brother! Karin...Karin's in trouble...What happened to dad?"

"Never mind that," Ichigo answered anxiously. "What's wrong with Karin?"

"I don't know! She just went very still and told me to get you! She seemed really scared!"

Ichigo didn't wait for any more. He pulled his badge from his pocket and sprang forward in his shinigami form, his father racing after him.

"Rukia, take care of Yuzu!" he called back.

"Leave it to me!" she answered, placing a hand on the crying girl's shoulder.

* * *

Ichigo cursed silently to himself as he entered the house. How could something have gotten so close without any of them sensing it?! Upon entering the living room, he saw Karin. She was cowering behind the couch. Cowering? Yes, Kurosaki Karin, the girl that beat up high schoolers and occasionally dealt with small hollows, he never did get Urahara for that one, was cowering in fear, eyes fixed on the window. He turned to see what she was looking at, placing a hand on Zangetsu as his father raced over to her side. Outside the window was a figure wrapped in dark robes. At first, he thought it might be Urahara in his reiatsu hiding cloak, but he dismissed the idea immediately. As soon as he laid eyes on the figure, he felt a more oppressive, malevolent reiatsu than any he had felt before. Then there was the face beneath the hood. It was sharp, with horribly scarred and deformed skin. The eyes were black, obsidian pools of emptiness. As soon as he made eye contact, he winced. Something inside him lurched, straining against invisible bonds.

He tightened his grip on Zangetsu, ready to charge at the slightest provokation, but suddenly he was staring at nothing. The figure had vanished. His apprehension was already starting to fade as if its mere presence had caused him to be afraid. Karin had relaxed and was now crying softly into her father's shoulder.

"What was it, Ichigo?"

Ichigo met his father's questioning gaze with one of his own.

"Didn't you feel that?" he asked.

"Feel what?" Isshin asked back in confusion.

"Let me get Rukia. She needs to hear about this too."

* * *

Hidden in a back alley of Karakura, seven cloaked figures stood in a circle, the last of which having just arrived.

"Has the seed been planted, Kyoki?" one figure asked

"Yes, Giman," the newcomer answered.

"And what of your target, Hokori?" Giman asked.

"I will have him in a matter of moments," a tall slender figure responded.

"What does that mean?" the largest answered in a rough voice.

"You'll see in just a second, Abare," Hokori replied.

"So here you are," a new voice declared from the alley entrance. A man in white clothes with a small bow stood there, a glowing, blue arrow at the ready.

"You're going to give me some answers," Ishida commanded.

"My, my, Hokori," Giman said in amusement. "Are you sure you haven't done your work already?"

Hokori snorted, "Don't worry, this is exactly where I wanted him. I can take it from here."

"Very well."

With that, the remaining figures scattered, each leaping away at high speeds in different directions into the night.

"Wait!" Ishida called, letting an arrow loose. Hokori caught it easily as it raced past him towards Abare's fleeing form.

"You should really pay more attention to the one facing you, boy." He lifted his face to gave into Ishida's eyes, and the Quincy grimaced, clutching his head as his vision went black.

* * *

Ishida groaned, his vision slowly returning to him as he woke. He was still in the alleyway, but there was no sign of his opponent, and the sun was just starting to peek above the rooftops. He cursed to himself. How could he have allowed himself to be knocked out so easily? And why had he been left alone the whole night? There wasn't a scratch on him.

He needed to tell the others about this. He could just imagine Kurosaki making fun of him for this slip up. Maybe he should just pretend it hadn't happened... NO. He had to inform his friends about what he had seen. How could he consider anything else?

He groaned again. He was obviously shaken by the event. That must be why he couldn't think straight. He stepped out of the alley, regaining his bearings and heading towards the Kurosaki Clinic. He could already feel the others' reiatsus converging on it.

* * *

Chad looked around at the gathered faces. Inoue, Ishida, Ichigo, Rukia, and himself were gathered in Ichigo's room, faces grim. Ichigo and Ishida were sporting similar scowls and looked like they might not have slept the previous night. Inoue had a slightly dejected look, though when he had asked her about it on the way, she had laughed it off as being overly worried about what had happened the previous day. Rukia seemed herself, though she also looked tired and on edge.

"So, I called you guys here because some stuff happened last night," Ichigo began. "We had a strange visitor in a black cloak."

"Urahara-san?" Chad asked, thinking along the same lines that Ichigo had initially.

"No. This guy was hideous. His skin was deformed and he had black eyes. He scared Karin pretty bad, and I didn't like the feeling I got from him."

"Uummm..." Inoue began tentatively. "I also had something like that happen. Except I think it was a woman."

"What!?" Ichigo exclaimed.

Rukia sat forward on the bed, listening intently.

"She was just standing across the street, I saw her from my window, but I just knew she was looking at me. I...I felt very angry for some reason." She laughed nervously. "I don't know what happened, but when I tried to understand why I was so angry, she just vanished." To emphasize her point, she made a gesture like 'poof'.

"So there's two of them," Rukia said, considering the matter.

"Actually," Ishida spoke up. "There are at least seven."

"What!? How do you know that?" Ichigo demanded.

"I came across a group of them last night," the Quincy explained. "I confronted them, but they fled. I think I blacked out after that."

"You just confronted them without calling for backup!?" Ichigo demanded more harshly.

"I didn't want to spook them before I got information. I couldn't have reiatsu spilling fool show up!" Ishida shot back venomously.

"I can see that worked out for you."

"Stop it! Both of you!" Rukia shouted, though Ichigo was the only one to feel her wrath directly, receiving a firm chop to the head. "We need to be working together, not getting into petty arguments about 'what we should have done'!"

"Rukia's right!" Inoue put in. "We're friends! We should be trying to encourage one another. Like they say, 'Nothing can be attempted if you have to keep jumping over turtles!'"

"Ummm, I don't think that's how it goes, Inoue," Chad put in.

"Really?"

"Anyway," Rukia cut in. "We need to work together to get to the bottom of this. Whatever these things are, they obviously know about us. We need to be very careful."

"And there's more," Ichigo said. "We've also lost all contact with Soul Society." This piece of news was greeted with stunned silence. Chad looked his friend in the eye, hoping that he would break the tension by revealing that it was a joke or a mistake, but he knew better. Ichigo wouldn't joke about something like that.

"How could that happen?" Inoue asked.

"We don't know for sure," Rukia answered grimly. "Something could have happened in Soul Society, but that doesn't necessarily explain why we can't open a senkaimon."

"We don't have enough information," Ishida said after a brief silence. "We don't know anything about these things. What they are, what they want, none of it. I suggest we all be on guard. If you see one, call for help immediately. We don't want to get caught alone in a situation like this."

They all nodded agreement, and Chad wondered if maybe he was thinking about his first encounter with Ginjo as well as the run in last night. Regardless, the conversation seemed to have come to a halt, so they all stood and, with the exception of Rukia who stayed at the clinic, they went their separate ways.


	3. Chapter Three: The Seeds of Madness

**Alright, here's the third chapter.**

**Thanks to Isame Kuroda and Ellie for the reviews, and thank you to everyone who followed and favorited.**

**I hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

**Chapter Three: The Seeds of Madness**

* * *

Rukia watched her orange haired friend with slight concern. She knew he was strong in every sense of the word. She had seen it many times, when he took on the whole of Soul Society to rescue her, when he had faced Aizen and his Espada, and when he had defeated Ginjo and made his own choice to remain a Substitute Shinigami. She knew he was strong, so she could tell that there was something wrong.

As she sat at his desk, she watched him, sitting on his bed and staring out the window into oblivion. His hands, which were clenched, trembled slightly. No one had been hurt. No one appeared to be in immediate danger, but still he sat there. He had not done so much as look at her since the others had left, and she was beginning to be irritated.

On top of all this, there was still the matter of these "visitors". Ichigo, Ishida, and Inoue had all witnessed them, as had Karin. Ishida had blacked out; Inoue had felt herself become angry; and Karin had succumbed to extreme terror. Each a very uncharacteristic reaction, but each one passed. Ichigo, however, had not said much besides the fact that he had seen one of them. Was that experience the cause of his unusual behavior? If so, then why had the others recovered already? Could it still be around!? No, she didn't sense anything, but they hadn't before either. She sighed softly at the situation before returning her attention to Ichigo.

"You should try to get some sleep," she said. "You were up all night."

"I'm fine," he answered without turning. This only increased her irritation. She looked around her, and, finding a nice, large book, threw it at his head.

"Look at me already!" she shouted. "You've been acting cold all morning! What's wrong with you, IDIOT!?" Her shoulders heaved slightly as she regained her breath, but Ichigo still didn't turn.

"Rukia," he said after a moment. "Can you look after my family?"

The request stunned her. Why would he ask her to do something that he no doubt considered his responsibility?

"Ichigo, what are you talking about?"

"I need to do something, so I need you to look after them for a while," he said, and he finally turned. "Please?"

The look in his eyes froze her heart. She could still see the firm resolve that was his strength, but it was like seeing the sun through a fractured window. What really sent chills through her, though, was the inky blackness in the corner of his left eye. She understood immediately, though she didn't see how it was possible. The look on Ichigo's face, however, prevented her from asking. She understood what he needed, and it wasn't sympathy or concern. He needed to know that his family would be safe.

"Of course, just don't be long."

He smiled softly in relief, then fixed the scowl on his face that had become like a signature. He pressed his badge against his chest, and leapt from the window as a shinigami. Rukia watched him go. She knew he would return. He always would. Now, however, she needed to figure out where to put his body….

* * *

Ichigo cursed silently to himself, much to the amusement of the voice racing through his head. He knew his hollow had never really disappeared, but he hadn't had any need to draw on that power since its return. In fact, his hollow had seemed content to sit back for once, having caused no trouble since merging with Tensa Zangetsu during his Dangai training.

Since last night, however, he had begun to grow restless. Even now Ichigo struggled against him, trying to hold him down long enough to get help in subduing him once again. The Hollow laughed at the thought, and Ichigo's scowl deepened. What had that thing done to him? He had been fine until he made eye contact with it.

_'What are they?' _he thought. _'How could they do something like this?'_

He grimaced as his hollow answered with more laughter. He could feel him wreaking havoc in his inner world. Even he was behaving oddly. He seemed even less rational than before, and that was saying a lot. All he could do for the moment was force himself to go faster, and pray that _they_ had not gone far.

* * *

On the other side of town, Ishida patrolled. He was still cursing himself for allowing them to gain the upper hand on him. Kurosaki's words earlier only punctuated his frustration, like salt on a bad wound. He knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, that he shouldn't take it so personally, but it was having a hard time taking root. Then he remembered what Inoue-san had said about her encounter, that it had left her feeling angry. He needed to get control of his emotions or else he couldn't think clearly.

He took a few calming breaths and considered what he knew. Whatever these things were, they knew about each one of them. They were intelligent. Their reiatsu was restrained, but potent. They had a plan of some sort brewing. He had no doubt that these things were responsible for Urahara-san's death. He knew the others still doubted it, but he was convinced that the shop-keeper had been killed.

He cursed. None of this was getting him anywhere. He was simply rehashing what they all knew already. The only way to get more information seemed to be from one of them. Somehow, he didn't think that they would be too open to conversation. That left him only one option. Interrogation.

He clamped down on his reiatsu and opened his senses, feeling for the slightest trace of anything unusual. All he felt was a hollow a couple of miles to his right. He lifted his bow and fired an arrow without looking. A moment later, the presence vanished. He began moving then, still searching with his senses. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

In the high vaulted room that was the Captains' meeting hall, thirteen individuals gathered. Their faces were grim, even the more carefree of them were tense. Word had been received from the Twelfth Division that the connection with the world of the living had been lost, and a state of emergency was declared. The pounding of a staff signaled the start of the meeting.

"Captain Kurotsuchi," Captain-Commander Yamamoto began, "Please give a short briefing on the situation at hand."

The scientist stepped forward. His face held none of the manic curiosity or boredom that the others had come to expect from him during such meetings. Instead, his face was a mask of calm consideration as one talking about an uneventful day.

"At 6 PM local time, yesterday evening, there was a strange fluctuation of power within the Dangai. At first, we thought this was simply the result of our tampering with the senkaimon to protect from dimensional impact with Hueco Mundo. We ruled this out, however, when we found that the senkaimon had been stabilized several hours before this. The fluctuation steadied and grew for about 15 minutes, during which time several members of the Onmitsukido disappeared in the Dangai. At 6:20PM the senkaimon closed. All attempts to open it from this end have failed."

"Have we tried to use Urahara's senkaimon technology to open another path?" Captain Ukitake asked into the stunned silence.

"Unfortunately, Urahara Kisuke is the only one who fully understands that technology and as he is missing, this would be a very difficult and time consuming endeavor," Kurotsuchi replied.

"Do you suspect that the senkaimon was sabotaged?" Captain Kyoraku asked.

"Given what has occurred, I can see no other possibility."

"It seems that whoever is behind this, wants to keep us from interfering in whatever they plan to do with the Living World," Yamamoto declared. "We cannot remain idle, nor can our allies in the Living World stand alone forever against such a cunning adversary! Captain Kurotsuchi, find a means to restore contact with them as quickly as possible. All other captains, prepare your squads for battle! You are dismissed!"

As the captains filed out of the room to tend to their business, Yamamoto called out, "Captain Kuchiki, remain behind, please."

Byakuya complied, returning to his place. Only Captain Hirako met his eyes as he left, aware of what was going on behind the cold mask that the noble captain wore. While he never particularly liked the Vizard, he respected the man as being intelligent and powerful. He knew that anyone who took to his laid back attitude would likely find themselves at his mercy should he deem them an enemy.

"Captain Kuchiki," Yamamoto addressed once they were alone. "What do you know of the Yamihoko?"

Byakuya thought for a moment. The term was not unknown to him, but its meaning aluded him, like a half-remembered dream.

"I am afraid I do not know what you are referring to," he answered.

"It is an old story," Yamamoto said. "I have not thought about it for centuries."

"Then why bring it up now?"

"As a precaution. We have no known enemies now capable of such actions as we have seen these past two days. It is prudent to investigate all possibilities in such a situation. I have already ordered Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake to investigate the Great Spirit Library for anything that might shed some light on the situation, but given the antiquity of this legend, I felt it appropriate to ask you to investigate given that the Kuchiki family has been charged with recording the history of Soul Society. I am sure I do not need to convince you of the urgency of this request."

"I understand," Byakuya responded. "I will begin investigating immediately. Is there anything else?"

"No, you may go."

Byakuya bowed stiffly and walked away. The Captain-Commander was correct. He understood the gravity of the situation perfectly, both for Soul Society and on a more personal level. While he trusted the Substitute to protect the Living World in their absence, he was not content to sit by when his sister was in the path of an unknown adversary. The man had once lectured him on the importance of caring for his sister, something he had been learning to do, and he had no intention of failing again.

* * *

Ishida had been patrolling the entire day with nothing to show for it. The strange reiatsu that these things possessed seemed to be detectable only when they were right in front of you. He had only managed to find them the previous night because he had seen one racing through the streets below him. Now, they seemed to be in hiding, waiting for whatever mischief they were brewing to come to fruition.

He came to a stop, deciding on a different tactic. He reached out his hands, allowing the Spirit Threads to materialize around him. He quickly located the threads belonging to his friends and held them in one hand, ensuring he could check on their safety. Kurosaki's thread alarmed him. The normally bright crimson was streaked with black. For a moment he had a horrible flashback of a moonlit, black sky above a large white dome. He shuddered at the thought and set it aside. Kuchiki-san should be with him. Hopefully she could keep him in line if something went wrong. Instead, he focused on gathering Spirit Threads in his other hand. He saw none aside from the normal white of humans, but he never expected to anyway. Clutching a handful so that almost every direction was covered, he waited, a thin, white spider at the center of his web.

Minutes passed with no change. The minutes changed to hours, and still he stood. He was beginning to despair of his plan when something changed. There was a slight rustling among the threads, as though a powerful spirit entity had passed among them, though he sensed nothing. He waited, feeling the same shifting in the threads as it moved about. Timing it carefully, he released the threads and thrust his hand out, catching something that he hadn't seen before. It was another Spirit Thread, dark grey in color. Keeping his hold on it, he rushed off into the direction that it led, carefully suppressing his reiatsu to avoid detection.

After a couple of minutes, he was rewarded with the sight of a dark cloaked figure retreating into the deepening twilight. He followed at a distance, careful not to get close enough to be detected, watching the figures actions with great care, hoping to glean something of its purpose. What he saw was unexpected.

As the figure passed along the street the people around him began to behave differently. There was a couple walking hand in hand, but when it passed, the man turned to flirt with a pretty young woman that was passing by. A young man working at a shop pulled some money from the register when his boss wasn't looking. A dog turned and bit at its owner's leg.

Ishida watched al this with growing confusion. He had assumed that these things fostered anger, but that didn't seem to be the case anymore. He followed the figure farther until he was satisfied that they were far enough out of town to avoid risk to bystanders. Then he attacked.

He was careful, not wanting a repeat of last night. He readied a Seele Schneider in his bow and fired it into the ground in front of the figure. It stopped and turned towards him.

"Well what do you want!?" it demanded in a snively voice.

"I want information," Ishida answered.

"Oh, it's you again. I thought you might have been scared off last night."

"Excuse me?"

"After Hokori came back without a scratch, I thought you might understand that you can't win. We were under the impression that you were the smart one after all. Then again, you did find me, so maybe you are, but you're still foolish for trying."

"We'll see after I defeat you," the Quincy responded calmly.

The figure laughed and threw back his hood. He had a tight face as though he was permanently squinting. His beady, black eyes darted to and fro as though looking for a possible escape, though his charcoal grin showed his eagerness to take on the challenger. A stripe, like a thick scar, wrapped around his neck like a giant rat's tail.

"What do you call yourself?" it asked.

"Ishida Uryu, Quincy."

"Interesting, I am Uragiri. That is all you ever need know about me though." He let out a raspy laugh, but still did not move. Each side seemed willing to wait for the other to start the fight. Finally, Ishida experimentally fired an arrow in its direction. It sidestepped the attack and remained rooted.

He fired again, only for Uragiri to dance out of its path. He then released a barrage of arrows, watching as his opponent continued to dance about, but as he watched the hideous writhing, he noticed that some of his arrows had turned back and were flying towards him.

He quickly moved out of the way and turned back to his opponent, noticing a sinister grin on its face.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"I already told you, didn't I?"

Ishida didn't bother asking what it meant by that. Instead, he readied another Seele Schneider and let it loose directly at his opponent. Of course, Uragiri simply moved aside, clicking his tongue in disappointment.

"Is that really the best you can do?"

Ishida responded by tossing a small silver tube at it.

"A silver rod strikes the five-fingered stone bed, Gritz!"

Instantly, a metallic coffin sprang up and surrounded his opponent. At least, he thought it had. Instead, it rebounded and began forming around him. He used hirenkyaku to get out of the way, shaking off the surprise and readying his bow again.

"Haven't you learned that it's useless?" Uragiri laughed as Ishida flashed around him, firing arrows from multiple directions and moving away as they were returned to him.

"C'mon! This is boring!" Uragiri taunted, yawning for effect. He was cut short, however, by a projectile cutting across his right cheek. He stopped, apparently stunned that an attack had made it through. He turned to see a third Seele Schneider embedded in the ground.

"So I was right," Ishida said. "As your name suggests, you use your opponent's power against them by reversing attacks back to the user. It seems that you can't respond so well to sudden changes in attack types, though."

Uragiri looked at him with mild respect. "You really are a scary guy," he said. "Looks like I need to take this fight more seriously." He drew a short, jagged knife from the folds of his cloak.

"You should feel honored. I have not had to fight so directly in over a thousand years."

"I only hope that your skill has not rotted in that time," the Quincy quipped.

Uragiri charged at him, but the Quincy dodged, or so he thought, because suddenly he felt a rending pain in his side and changed directions. He saw the jagged blade of a knife fade out of existence where he had just been.

"How…?"

"You said it yourself, it's all in my name. I am Treachery, and against my blade, even your reflexes will betray you!" He laughed hysterically at the angered look on the Quincy's face.

Ishida let his bow dissipate, and drew a Seele Schneider, holding it like a sword. He charged his opponent, fighting with poise and elegance, even though he did not favor swordsmanship. Uragiri gave ground, though his maniacal smile never left his face. They exchanged blows back and forth, locked in an ever shifting dance of death until finally something snapped. Ishida felt his Seele Schneider fall from his grasp and plant in the groundto his left. He quickly drew his last one and held it at the ready.

"Give it up," Uragiri said. "If you were a swordsman by heart, you might win that way, but you can't possibly expect your blade to remain true."

"I agree," Ishida answered. "Fortunately, that is not what I intend to do."

With that, he struck his blade into the ground, and a glowing pentagram formed, trapping Uragiri in the center.

"You think this will hold me!?" the thing demanded furiously.

"I wouldn't be so hasty," Ishida advised calmly. He was standing in front of one Seele Schneider with his bow at the ready. "As I said before, you can only turn one type of attack at a time. If you release yourself from that trap, you will be pierced by my arrow, but if you turn my arrow back, you will succumb to Sprenger."

"Curse you! What do you want!?"

"Initially, I wanted information, but I think you've given me more than enough. Goodbye."

With that, he released his arrow and let a silver tube drop, but before the tube made contact, one of the Seele Schneider fell over. At first, he thought Uragiri had chosen to free himself from the trap, but that was quickly proven false when his arrow came racing back toward him. He ducked quickly to avoid it.

"My, my," a new voice said. "You almost got it, Uragiri."

Ishida looked up to see another of them, a woman he had to guess. Her skin was smoother than Uragiri's and she had a sickly green mop of hair falling over her dark cloak.

Uragiri laughed nervously. "I could have managed, Netami," he insisted.

"I'm sure," she responded in distaste. "Now, I think we need to deal with this inquisitive young man."

"Of course."

They both held their hands up, and darkness seemed to gather between them. Ishida felt like he was looking into a deep, dark hole. Too late, he roused himself to move. The darkness raced toward him at a frightening velocity.

It never reached him. Instead, it struck a glowing, orange triangle and burst in a shadowy explosion. A beam of bright energy shot out from behind him, and he turned to see Chad and Inoue running up. Inoue quickly dropped down beside him and began tending his wounds while Chad stood in front of them both with his right arm raised like a shield.

As the smoke cleared, the two figures could be seen scowling at the humans.

"This has turned against us quickly," Netami growled. "We should withdraw for now."

"Agreed."

The two drew there hoods up and quickly leapt away into the night.

"Wait!" Chad called after them.

"Let them go, Sado-kun," Ishida said. He was almost healed, but he knew that they had only been scared off by their numbers. If Inoue and Chad had not shown up, he would have been in deep trouble.

"Were you able to learn anything?" Inoue asked.

"A little," he answered. "But it should wait until I can inform everyone. We should gather them immediately."

The other two agreed and, helping him to his feet, set out into the night.


	4. Chapter Four: The Spring of Insanity

**Hey guys,**

**Sorry for the slow update. Classes started last week, and I'm both a student and employee of my university, so I've been very busy. Anyway, here's a new chapter for you. I hope to have the next one up soon.**

**Thanks to Isame for the continued support and tellie for the encouragement.**

**These next few chapters are going to really get the story started, so stay tuned!**

**I hope you all enjoy the chapter.**

**Another thanks to Isame for catching some typos. "tomb of breathed heavily" was an error in the upload. I've corrected it.**

**Chapter Four: The Spring of Insanity**

* * *

Isshin stared out the window into the dull greyness of the day. He had decided to close the clinic early that day. Neither of the girls had complained. Since their visitation the other night, things had been tense in the household. It was a strange feeling, one that he couldn't quite place.

Now, Karin was alternating between lying on the couch and wandering aimlessly about the living room. Yuzu was in the kitchen, diligently scrubbing a pot that had been sparkling for the past five minutes.

"Karin-chan," Yuzu ventured when her sister stood again to pace, "Don't you have a soccer match today?"

"Yeah," she answered. "I don't think I'll go though."

Yuzu gave her twin a concerned look, but backed down from saying anything when she received a warning glare.

None of them had been out of the house since that night. None, that is, except one. Isshin watched as Rukia made another pass over the house. She had been like that since yesterday morning, alternating between a watchful rest and an active patrol. A sternness had come upon her, testifying to her training both as a Shinigami and a noble. She still had her gentle way with the girls, but he could see that she was worried. The fact that she was still able to operate so efficiently showed her discipline.

Yes, his third daughter had become strong. He still insisted on the title, despite no longer needing to hide his knowledge of her identity. After all she had done for his idiot son, he felt it fitting to look at her as family.

The thought gave him pause for the same reason he found himself staring out the window. Concern. He was worried about his son. He was never one to baby him, but he had felt the boy's reiatsu as he left the previous morning. It was a hard fate he'd been bought, though Ichigo had no idea, and while he knew that he wouldn't have it any other way, Isshin sometimes felt a tinge of sadness at his son's burden.

_'What would you have done?' _he thought. _'How would you help him, Masaki?'_

As he watched Rukia make another pass above the house, he finally understood the feeling that had pervaded their lives the past two days. They were under siege.

* * *

Up above the Kurosaki house, Rukia was entertaining similar thoughts. The report that Ishida had brought back was disconcerting to say the least.

_"__I think,"_ he had said, _"That each of these things might have a different effect on us."_

_ "That doesn't explain why only a few of us have been approached," _Chad answered.

She was worried about this as well. She was sure now that each of them had been carefully chosen before being approached. Unfortunately, she could only surmise that they had wanted to stir up Ichigo's hollow. She was no closer to discovering why Ishida and Inoue had been targeted while she and Chad were left out.

Suddenly, an image presented itself to her mind. On the ground around her, she saw her friends lying lifeless in crimson pools. Ichigo stood with his back to her, but fell to the ground a moment later before a shapeless foe. Then the vision was gone, and she found herself lying in the street.

She stood quickly, cautiously placing a hand on her sword-hilt. She must have blacked out, and the thought brought only one thing to mind. _Them._

"Oooohh," came a smooth, lazy voice. "Looks like they were right. You really are too strong for that."

Rukia whirled around to see a dark cloaked figure leaning against the wall of a nearby building. His face was mostly hidden, but she could see wide cheeks, one of which was marked with a scar that looked like a moth had caught fire before landing on his face. He had long arms, but short legs, and his hands were large, ending in large talons. Overall, he gave the impression of a great, black bowling pin with claws. Were it not for recent events, not the least of which his getting the drop on her, she would have trouble taking him seriously.

"What do you mean?" she demanded in response to his earlier statement.

"You're still too strong for my power to work on you," he replied in a bored tone. "But don't worry, we'll soon fix that." As he ended, his voice took on a menacing edge that pushed her to draw her sword.

"Oh, you see me as a threat. That's good. Most people have a hard time taking me seriously. I'm glad you know better."

"Who are you?" Rukia demanded.

"Who? You can call me Zetsubo."

"What are you?"

"That," he laughed, "If I told you that, there would be no point in this game."

"What do you mean 'game'?" she seethed. "You attack and harass us, and you call that a game?"

"No, I call that setting the board. Now, if you're done asking pointless questions, do you mind dying a little bit?"

Rather than wait for a response, he charged forward, his huge claws swinging wildly at the Shinigami. Rukia deftly parried each swipe with incredible poise, but she was still feeling battered by the sheer force of the strikes. Her opponent brought both hands around in a pinching motion forcing her to back away quickly to avoid being caught.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"

Rukia landed, crouched and ready to continue the fight. Her sword somehow glittered in the misty light as she said, "First dance, Tsukishiro!" She swung her blade through the air, and her opponent braced himself before realizing that he was surrounded by a glowing white circle. He quickly leapt to the side as a tower of ice materialized where he had just been standing.

He looked at her almost in dismay before breaking into a grin. He stood nonchalantly, and began sauntering towards her. Rukia raised her hand, taken off guard at his behavior.

"Hado #33, Sokatsui!" she shouted. The blue fireball struck home with a powerful explosion, but when the smoke cleared, Zetsubo was still walking calmly toward her. She was truly startled now. Even the Ninth Espada had sought to dodge her attacks, and she was much stronger now than she had been back then.

"Hado #73, Soren Sokatsui!" she shouted, almost desperately. The blast was significantly more powerful, two massive fireballs errupting against her enemy. This time, when the smoke cleared, he could be seen standing, slightly stunned. He looked at her grimly, then continued his approach. This had gone on for too long. She raised her sword again, crying out, "Next dance, Hakuren!"

The wave of snow and ice cascaded forward, surging into an incredible avalanche of wrath. Everything before her was encased in a tomb of ice. She breathed heavily, spent more by her sudden desperation than her effort. She chided herself for being so easily unnerved. It wasn't like her.

As she prepared to sheathe her sword, a sound brought her back to alertness. A crack had opened up in the ice and was widening quickly. She readied herself to receive a counter attack, not wanting to be caught again like she had been when she saved Ichigo from Grimmjow.

She was suddenly thrust back as the ice exploded outward. She raised her sword, temporarily blinded by the shards around her, then grunted in sudden pain. As her vision cleared, she registered the wide gash that had been made across her torso as well as the searing pain that accompanied it.

She glared at Zetsubo who was grinning ferociously as her blood trailed down his claws.

"Is that all?"

She glared at him in response, breathing heavily through the pain. She didn't see how it was possible for him to endure those hits without taking any damage.

"It's a shame really, I had hoped to fight you at your best."

Suddenly, he was behind her. He no longer seemed like the awkward oaf of before. He seemed lithe and powerful, like a great lion that has cornered its prey. Rukia tried to turn, swinging her sword in a vain attempt at defense as the powerful claws pierced through her.

She felt her strength leaving her, and she fell, cursing her own powerlessness and wondering how she had lost so easily.

A flash of cerulean light filled her vision, breaking her opponent's hold on her. She knew that attack.

_'Ichigo?' _she thought hopefully before the darkness swallowed her mind.

* * *

Hiyori was bored. Bored bored bored. She gazed up at the warehouse's dilapidated roof, watching the dancing dust particles flit in and out of the beams of light. Hachi was meditating in the basement, apparently working on some new spell. Lisa was upstairs reading one of her gross magazines. Love was the only one breaking the silence with his ridiculous laughter.

"Shut up already!" she suddenly burst out. "You're ticking me off!"

The other Vizard just ignored her.

"Oi! Quit ignoring me!"

Yes, she was bored. Things had been boring since Shinji returned to Soul Society. None of the others gave her such good reactions. She jumped to the next level where Love was sitting and bent low to glare directly into his face.

Without looking up, he said, "If you plan to kiss me, I would prefer you brush your teeth first."

Hiyori's face lit up a bright crimson, and she fell backwards in surprise before letting out a disgusted _Blech!_

Who would want to kiss you, Idiot!?" she blustered. Then she took off one of her sandals and chucked it at his head. He yelped as it struck him with unnatural force, sending him toppling from his perch to the bottom floor.

"Oh nooo," he groaned. "I lost my place!"

"Serves ya right!" Hiyori called, making a face at him.

She was distracted from hearing any further laments by a strange, yet familiar feeling. It took her a moment to place it, but when she did, she grinned wickedly. Maybe she could stop being bored now.

In the doorway stood the orange haired substitute. He was breathing heavily as though he had run the entire way.

"Hey, Baldy!" she called down. "What's the hurry!?" She was utterly amused by the idea of being able to antagonize him again, but something seemed off. Normally, he would have started shouting back already. When he finally did respond, his voice was ragged, but she could see his face. The right half was normal, if not strained. The left half, however, brought back an unpleasant memory. His left eye was black, and the whole half of his face was turned up in a manic sneer.

"Lock. Me. Up."

* * *

Rukia woke to an orange glow. She was at the Urahara shop with Inoue, Isshin, and Yoruichi standing over her. She sat up suddenly as she remembered what had happened. Isshin was in his Shinigami form. He must have been the one to save her. She cursed herself silently. She had trained hard for the past seventeen months, becoming one of the strongest lieutenants in the Gotei 13, all so that she wouldn't need to be saved again, but here she was in the same position again.

"Thank you, Inoue," she said. "I'm fine now."

She stood, shakily at first, then more firmly as her strength returned.

"What happened out there?"

She turned to see Ishida and Chad sitting by the far wall. Apparently, it had been Ishida asking the question. She sighed slightly before recounting her encounter with Zetsubo. She left out the vision she had beforehand. It still unnerved her too much. When she had finished, there was silence. Each person was pondering the meaning of her attacker's words.

Isshin was the first to break the silence. "I should go back and check on the girls," he said. "I'll meet you at home, Rukia-chan." With that, the elder Kurosaki left. Chad followed after a minute without a word.

Ishida stood and walked over to Inoue.

"Come on, Inoue-san," he said. "I'll walk you home."

"That's okay, I'll be fine," she protested, waving her hands nervously. Ishida looked at her, slightly confused at her reaction. "I think it would be best if I escort you," he insisted. "There's no telling when another of these things will come after one of us."

She didn't protest after that. Obviously seeing the sense in his words. Rukia knew that she could be naïve at times, but she wasn't stupid, and she had a good heart.

"Go on, Inoue," she said, giving her friend a slight smile. "I'll be okay."

Her friend nodded and returned the smile before following Ishida out the door. As he passed, Rukia caught a strange look in his eyes. He seemed to know something, or guess it at least, but he didn't seem ready to share.

When they had gone, she reflected again on her loss and the strange vision she had had. She could hardly stand the image of Ichigo falling, trying to protect her while her friends lay dead all around.

"Yoruichi-san," she said after a few minutes. "You trained Ichigo, right?"

"Yes," she replied. "A little bit. It was Kisuke, that did most of the work though." Her voice carried a hint of wistfulness.

"But you helped him achieve bankai."

"I hope you're not suggesting what I think you are."

Rukia turned and bowed to the ground.

"Please train me," she pleaded.

Yoruichi's golden eyes watched her silently for a minute, pondering the wisdom of subjecting her to the same peril that Ichigo had faced only out of necessity. Then she relented.

"Fine," she said. "But we start tomorrow, after you've had a rest."

"Thank you!"

* * *

The Vizard watched warily as Ichigo stood at the center of Hachi's newly erected barrier. Given the substitutes increased power, he had made it as thick as possible. They could see that something was different this time around. Rather than going on a rampage like he had the first time his hollow had been suppressed, he was standing calmly.

Since he had arrived, his appearance had changed even more drastically. His right side was still normal, his eye now empty as though he was entranced, which he was. His left, however, was now covered in a bleached white hierro. Jagged black streaks raced all around its surface, and that side of his face was covered in a devilish mask.

Inside his inner world, things were no better. Ichigo looked around to see that, once again, Zangetsu was no where to be found. The buildings that made up the world were shattered, destroyed, or gutted with fire. In the midst of it all was a figure that had haunted his nightmares for over a year. In the midst of the carnage stood his hollow in his most powerful state, the same form that had obliterated Ulquiorra.

Something was off, though. Instead of the robe that he had worn before, he wore nothing. His skin was a silky black, utterly featureless except for the blank white hollow mask and the filled in whole in his chest. Instead of hands, he had sword like forearms.

Ichigo hefted his own blade, ready to strike or defend depending on the answer he would receive.

"What are you doing?"

Rather than answer, the hollow turned to him. Its gaze pierced him with an animal like intelligence. Pure, unbridled, instinct. It stood there, unmoved as Ichigo returned a glare of his own.

Then, as though an unspoken signal had been given, Ichigo tensed, the hollow let lose a piercing cry, and both charged.


	5. Chapter Five: Dark Paths

**Hello everyone! I finally managed to finish this chapter after many attempts. **

**Thanks to fairyxlucyxdragon for the input!**

**To answer Isame's questions, I have this story pretty well planned out, so don't worry about things dissolving into a bunch of showing off by the characters. As I've said before, I'm treating the events of the Thousand Year Blood War as never going to happen in this story, but anything that is revealed has a good chance of appearing. I've already hinted a little bit at Ichigo's true heritage. As for the rest, you'll have to read and see.**

**I hope you all enjoy the chapter.**

**Chapter Five: Dark Paths**

* * *

Rocks exploded or were split in two as Zabimaru cleft the air of Urahara's "playground"in a chaotic arc full of wrath and worry. Renji whipped the snake-like Zanpakuto in another violent series of strikes, leveling his frustration against his surroundings.

Rukia was trapped in the living world.

_Strike_

They were unable to send any help to Ichigo.

_Smash_

They had no idea what was going on in the living world.

_Crash_

He brought his sword around again only for it to be stopped by another blade. Renji started, not expecting anyone to have found this place. Kuchiki Byakuya stood there, Senbonzakura raised in defense against Renji's strike. For a moment, an image flashed through his mind of a time when he had turned his sword against this man in anger and hatred. Now though, all their animosity was gone, replaced by the silent respect between comrades.

Byakuya raised is silver eyes to meet Renji's, a single question voiced to his Lieutenant.

"What are you doing, Renji?"

"Captain...," Renji said, still recovering. "I was just training." He knew that his tone gave him away. He couldn't hope to achieve anyhting the way he was thrashing about. Really, he was just venting.

Rather than call him out, however, Byakuya lowered his sword and strode to a better location before taking up a ready stance.

"Allow me to join you, then," he said.

Renji steeled himself as he faced his Captain. They had sparred many times since Aizen's defeat. They had learned each other's strengths and weaknesses, though in Byakuya's case it had been more strengths, and both worked to improve the other's skills.

The two faced off against each other, slowly inching one foot forward as though being drawn by the tension in the air. Then, as though a cord was cut or a silent signal given, both of them charged.

Byakuya vanished in a blur of shunpo. Renji launched Zabimaru, extending it in a wide sweeping strike all around himself. He felt the resistance of Senbonzakura blocking the strike just behind him. He turned to see his Captain giving him an expressionless, steely gaze. Renji was used to that gaze, but over time, he had learned to read a Byakuya, if only a little, and he could tell there was something behind it.

He struck outward, pushing his opponent back and launching into another strike.

"Hado #1, Sho," Byakuya chanted. The invisible force struck Zabimaru broadside and sent the blade crashing into the ground several feet to his right. The Captain then raised his sword close to his face and said, "Scatter, Senbonzakura."

The blade dissolved into a whirlwind of scattered sakura petals. Renji felt his blood run cold at he opening he had left. He quickly shunpo'd away, returning Zabimaru as he put distance between himself and the dancing blades.

"Why do you run, Renji?"

The red-haired Lieutenant almost stumbled when he noticed Byakuya was running alongside him, his piercing gaze sharper than any sword. Renji's face twisted into a snarl as he brought Zabimaru around again, only to have Byakuya appear behind him and send him flying with a firm kick.

Renji groaned as he gathered himself from the rubble of the boulder he had just crashed into. He was breathing heavily, assessing the situation with more than a little self-loathing. Had Captain Kuchiki really risen to an even higher level? This was the first time in many months that he was being bested so easily.

"You seem confused," Byakuya said. Renji looked up at him, the expression on his face confirming what his Captain said. "I have gotten no stronger since our last round of training. In fact, I am fighting at a lower level than we normally do. Do you understand, Renji?" There was no answer.

"I asked why you were running. Since I arrived, I've felt only one thing from your sword. Fear. Why are you afraid, Renji?"

Renji wouldn't meet his eyes. His mind was filled with concern for his friends. Even when Ichigo had fallen in with X-Cution, they could keep tabs on him and intervene if needed. But now he was cut off from them. He didn't doubt Ichigo's power, but he hadn't doubted Urahara's either. What if something happened to him too? What if something happened to Rukia?

Something stirred in his thoughts though, something he had almost forgotten, and yet, never would.

_It was impossible, hopeless. Rukia was going to die, and he was supposed to ensure it. Ichigo was before him, barely able to stand, but the carrot top refused to die. He refused to run away and hide. Instead, he lifted his giant blade and said, "Sorry, Renji. This is my resolve."_

"Sorry, Captain. Here is my resolve."

He lifted Zabimaru above his head, but instead of launching it again, he began to swing it in a wide arc above his head, faster, faster, faster, until it was a blur of pain and death. He had only tried this move a few times since first using it against the Eighth Espada.

He would not be bested. His friends would survive. He would not fail to protect again. Senbonzakura's petals scattered, blown back by the force of Zabimaru's wrathful swings and Renji's reiatsu.

Byakuya might have smiled. It was always hard to tell with him, but he lifted his sword hild and recalled Senbonzakura. Then he sheathed his sword and began to walk away.

"Come, Renji," he said. "We've been summoned."

Renji let Zabimaru return, almost dropping it in confusion before following his Captain.

* * *

Rukia watched in mild curiosity as the former special ops commander worked on preparing what appeared to be a large white doll of some kind. Off to the side, Inoue stood watching them both. Yoruichi had summoned her to serve as medical relief.

Yoruichi's demeanor was grim as she finished her preparations.

"Tell me, Rukia," she said. "Why do you want to do this?"

"What do you mean?" she replied.

"I mean that you're a strong Lieutenant. You likely aren't that far from being able to do this training by the normal method. So why are you doing this?"

"I made a promise," Rukia answered, remembering the look in Ichigo's eye as he left. "I'm not strong enough to keep it yet, so I need to get stronger as fast as I can."

The two locked gazes for a moment. Then Yoruichi seemed to relent.

"Very well. I will warn you though, Kisuke was the first to do this. He was driven by curiostiy and adventure. Ichigo was the second. He was driven by his determination to save you. Unless you can match their resolve, you will likely die."

"I understand that, but I have to do this anyway."

"So be it. Thrust your sword into this Tenshintai, and we will begin."

Rukia obliged, and her sword and the Tenshintai immediately disappeared. In there place stood a tall, proud looking woman. Her skin was fair, and her hair and robes were white like fresh fallen snow. Her eyes provided the one true contrast of color, though the blue was no less cold in appearance.

"You heard of course?" Yoruichi asked.

"Yes," Sode no Shirayuki answered. "We will begin immediately."

The zanpakuto raised her hands and walls of ice and snow began to pile up around them, shifting and winding until Rukia found herself alone in a dark, icy cavern.

"What is this!?" she demanded.

"This is your trial, Rukia," her zanpakuto answered. Her voice echoed along the walls in some places and muffled in others so that she couldn't tell where it was coming from. "You must find the place from which you draw your power. Find me and defeat me. Then I will teach you Bankai. Welcome to the labyrinth of your heart."

* * *

Ichigo was not yet winded. The hollow was fast, but so was he. The size of his sword had come in handy in defending against the ferocity of the attacks, but it was not quite fast enough to land a counter blow.

The hollow stalked about, watching the Shinigami warily. Like a predator that had to fight over its meal, the hollow paced. It seemed that the animalistic instinct came with a similar intelligence. It was considering how best to deal with him. It was hungry.

It charged again, moving at a blinding rate. It dove downward, rising up beneath Ichigo's feet. The substitute saw the move and lifted his great sword above his head.

"Getsuga TENSHOU!" he shouted, cleaving a path in the air. The cerulean wave rushed toward the hollow. A flash of red appeared beneath it and the attack disappeared in a deafening explosion. Ichigo braced himself against the shockwave, once again raising Zangetsu as a shield before him.

A hole burst in the smoke, and the hollow raced out of it. It leveled a forceful strike against Zangetsu with one of its sword-arms while it brought the other around in a vicious stroke across Ichigo's arm. He winced at the wound but he didn't let up. He pushed back against his opponent, sending it flying with the force of the swing.

He watched as it gathered itself, wondering what was going on. It bore a strong resemblance to the form that he was in when he defeated Ulquiorra, but it wasn't the same. For one thing, it wasn't speaking. His inner Hollow had never passed up an opportunity to taunt him, but the only sound this thing made was a feral growl or a savage roar.

That was another thing he felt was wrong. There was less familiarity in this thing. Rather than feel intelligent, he thought he had to use the term loosely here, it felt primal. His Hollow had always boasted of being the embodiment of his instinct, but seeing this entity, he wasn't so sure.

The hollow righted itself, once again appraising him with its savage gaze. Then it charged, its speed jumping higher and higher to a level beyond anything it had shown thus far. Ichigo sent another Getsuga Tenshou towards it. There was one other thing he had noticed about it. Its sword-arms bore a striking resemblance to Tensa Zangetsu.

The hollow cut a path throught the Getsuga, barely slowing as it bore down on him. Ichigo could barely hold back the attack and gave ground because of it.

_'No good,' _he thought. _'I can't keep fighting him at this level.'_

He pressed forward in another forceful slash, gaining a small amount of space for it. Then, raising his sword, he shouted, "Ban-KAI!"

* * *

The Captains' meeting hall was more full than usual. Each squad's Lieutenant was present, minus the Thirteenth's. The expression on every face was grim as they waited on the last members to gather. Kurotsuchi Mayuri, followed by Kurotsuchi Nemu, strode into the room, and odd box being carted behind.

"Let us now call this meeting to order!" the Head-Captain declared with a strike of his cane. "I will start by requesting Captain Ukitake share what he has found in his research into any historical occurrences of these events that have plagued us in these past days."

Ukitake stepped forward and bowed to his teacher.

"Captain Kyoraku and I have spent many hours in the Great Spirit Library, looking for anything that might shed light on what is happening. Yesterday evening, we found what appears to be the oldest text still contained in the library. Most of it was illegible, but we were able to find a haiku that appears to be a warning. It read like this:

Where shadows follow,

Beware the Yamihoko.

The Darkness they wake.

"As I said, it is an old poem, but, having never heard of this before, we decided to alert Captain Kuchiki concerning it, hoping that the records of the Kuchiki clan would be more complete. He will be able to report whether or not there have been any fruits to his searches."

"Thank you, Captain Ukitake," Yamamoto said. "Captain Kuchiki, if you would, please share with us the results of your search."

"Yes, Head-Captain," the noble said, stepping forward as his senior returned to his place. "With the information Captain Ukitake provided, I was able to narrow down a time frame for my own search. It was in the oldest records of my clan that I found the story of the Yamihoko. It was written in a very old style of writing, and many of the pages have become too worn to read, but I was able to gather some things from it.

"The Yamihoko are a race of demons that feed on evil or are bound to it in some way. Wherever they go, humans will find themselves acting on their greatest weaknesses. A man that enjoys violence will commit genocide, a peace loving man might spurn justice, or a tired man may give in to apathy. How they operate is unknown, but it was in response to them that the Gotei was originally sanctioned by the King of Souls. Apparently, there was a being that they revered as a god, and it was against him that the Gotei waged war. The result was an eradication of the majority of Soul Society's forces and the banishment of the Yamihoko into the deepest fires of Hell.

"The purpose of the Gotei has changed drastically since then, but if the Yamihoko have returned somehow, we must prepare to act."

"But we don't know that they've returned, do we?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Not for certain, but one thing that stood out to me was that this was the only time in our history that the Senkaimon was disabled."

"Captain Kurotsuchi," Hirako spoke, "am I right in assuming that package has something to do with the Senkaimon?"

"Indeed it does," the mad-scientist responded. "I have succeeded in merging the garganta technology that I recovered from Szayelapollo's lab with our own Senkaimon. The result is a sort of dimensional cannon, thus the small size. If it were any bigger, we could irreparably shatter the barrier between the worlds."

"Are you sure we should use something like that?" Kyoraku asked. "Isn't damaging the world counterproductive?"

"As I said, at this size, the damage could still be repaired," Mayuri answered in annoyance. "However, there is one draw back. The hole it creates will not be large enough for any of us."

"That seems like a pretty useless invention then," Hirako stated bluntly.

"Well, I have been experimenting with shrink-ray technology," the scientist stated with a dangerous glint in his eye. "Would you care to become a test subject?"

"No, I think I'll pass."

"Anyone else?"

No one seemed eager to take him up on his offer, though Renji looked like he might be willing to risk it.

"Mayuri-sama," Nemu began. "Do we not have a candidate to test your canon already?"

"Oh, him? I'm not sure what use he would be."

"If you can send someone through, they could act as a messenger to gather intelligence, could they not?" Byakuya asked.

"I suppose he could. Nemu, fetch him."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama."

With that, the Lieutenant departed on her errand, leaving the Captains to continue their discussions.

* * *

Rukia wandered icy corridors. Only a little light managed to enter from above, twinkling like stars in the distance. Occasionally she would hear some faint noise. At first she thought it might be some water that had thawed off the ceiling landing on the ground, but the air around her was getting steadily colder.

As she walked, she found herself at a hub where the path opened up into a large dome before splitting into dozens of other pathways. Some were smooth and allowed light in more readily. Others were darker and were lined with vicious icicles. Some were sharply cut as by a master craftsman.

She looked at the paths in confusion. There was no real sign to indicate which path she should take. She was supposed to find the seat of her power, but that didn't lend any use in navigation. Her zanpakuto's reiatsu echoed about making it impossible to determine which direction she needed to go in. She was also aware that she was on a time limit. Even with her natural resistance to cold, being the user of an ice-type zanpakuto, she wouldn't survive long if the temperature kept dropping.

She appraised the paths again. Each one was different, so perhaps where each one led represented a different part of her. If that was the case, she should avoid the brighter path, as it seemed too safe to lead to her power. Even as the thought crossed her mind, she heard a voice echo down the path.

"-kia!"

She strained to hear. Fortunately it came again, this time more clearly.

"Rukia!"

_'That's Ichigo's voice!' _she thought. _'How can he be here?'_

She took a step forward, but then stopped.

_'No, he can't be here. He wouldn't interrupt my training like this.'_

She turned away, but the voice came again, more urgent.

"RUKIA!"

She turned back to the tunnel, feeling the voice pull at her heart. There was pain in the voice. Her friend was in pain! She rooted herself there. It couldn't be Ichigo. It absolutely couldn't, but she couldn't seem to pull herself away. On the contrary, her feet seemed to move on their own, and she was racing towards the tunnel. She pulled up sharply, her mind resting control again.

The voice didn't come again, but she still stood rooted in a conflict between her concern for her friend and her reason's insistence that it was not Ichigo.

_'If it isn't him, then I can just turn around and come back.'_ she reasoned. Then she plunged into the tunnel.

Immediately, she cursed herself, both for foolishly giving in to the temptation and because the entrance had been sealed behind her. With nothing else to do, she pressed onwards, keeping her eyes peeled for anything suspicious. Her hand unconsciously reached for the comfort of the sword that she wasn't carrying.

As she walked, she caught sight of a discoloration on the wall. She approached it and gasped in surprise.

"Nii-sama?"

Kuchiki Byakuya stood there, encased in ice. His eyes were closed as though he were asleep. Then she noticed the others. Her Captain was there too, as was Renji and-.

"Ichigo!?"

At the back of the tunnel, half embedded in ice was her friend. He was struggling to escape from the ice that was slowly encasing him.

"Rukia!" he called out.

"Ichigo! What are you doing here!?"

"I was coming to let you know that they fixed the Senkaimon when the ice started to attack us. It already got Byakuya and Ukitake-san. Help me out."

She lifted a hand to the wall and shouted, "Hado #31, Shokaho!"

The fireball struck the wall and shattered the ice. Ichigo dropped down and drew Zangetsu.

"What exactly is going on here?" he asked.

"I'm in the middle of Bankai training."

"Really?" he asked. His face clearly showed that he was impressed. "So what's with this place?" he asked, walking back down the tunnel.

"That's-"

She stopped suddenly, stunned into silence as Ichigo was impaled upon a large spike of ice. He looked at her briefly in shock, struggling futilely against the spike, but after a moment the life left his eyes, and he slumped forward.

"Ichigo!" she cried in shock.

Then he was gone. The walls opened up, and she found herself back in the hub.

"That's no good Rukia," Sode no Shirayuki said, her voice echoing from every wall. "You cannot rely on the safety of others if you hope to wield my power."

Rukia ground her teeth in frustration at the trick. Obviously, she would have to tread more carefully. The maze had more dangers than just cold.

* * *

_ 'Hello, everyone! I have returned! Yes, you guessed it; I'm the King of New York! KON-SAMA! Since I left that poser, Ichigo, I've become quite the bigshot. Oh yes, even the Captains are calling on me for help!_

_ 'Normally, I wouldn't have time for such things, being the big star that I am, but I'm feeling generous today. And besides, if I can do something that the big-wigs can't, then all the ladies will go crazy over me!'_

The little plushy swaggered up to the meeting hall door and gave it a great shove only to be rewarded with a faint squeak.

"Oi!" he called. "Open up in there!"

Nothing happened.

He was about to call again when Nemu spoke from behind him.

"Allow me," she said, giving the door a gentle push.

Kon strode proudly into the room.

"Yo! The hero has arrived!"

He didn't seem to notice the stares of shock on almost every Captains face. Even Yamamoto looked like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Nemu," Kurotsuchi said, snapping his fingers.

His Lieutenant immediately seized the obnoxious plushy.

"Hey! What's the big idea!?"

"This is your messenger?" Ukiatke asked incredulously.

"Of course. He is the only one small enough to fit through the portal."

"Where did you find him?" Kyoraku asked in amusement.

"That's—classified," Kurotsuchi said after catching a warning glare from Byakuya.

In reality, Byakuya had sent the annoying plush toy to Kurotsuchi after catchin it attempting to peep at his sister.

"Suit yourself," the Eighth Division Captain said.

"Now let us begin," Kurotsuchi said, ignoring further protests from Kon. He removed a sheet from over his new invention revealing a device that looked remarkably like a projector that had been wired to a nuclear reactor.

"Oi, what is that!?" Kon demanded, though his bravado was failing.

"That," the scientist answered, "is your mission. Nemu."

The woman lifted Kon over her head as her Captain fiddled with a few switches on his machine. There was a brilliant flash, and a spinning disk of light appeared in the air.

"No! Nononononononononono!" Kon protested as Nemu pulled him back and threw him into the portal.

Kon braced himself for death, but he didn't feel anything except a dull thud as he landed on the ground. He looked around and found himself in the Dangai. Something was very wrong. The restrictive current had stopped. The Cleaner was shattered once again. And there was a cloaked figure in the middle of it all. Vast tentacles slithered and poked at the walls, building a firmer and firmer hold.

Kon wisely chose to keep silent. The thing didn't seem to have noticed him yet, but that would change quickly if he made a noise. He crept silently towards the far end of the tunnel where he could see the faint light of the exit, praying that the thing wouldn't look down.

* * *

Ichigo was short on breath. His release had left him tired where it usually energized him. Fortunately, he didn't have to move just yet. The hollow was standing there, no light in its eyes.

_'What's going on?' _he thought. _'He stopped moving when I released my Bankai. Has it given up?'_

His hope was immediately dashed as he felt another heavy drain on his power. He staggered, then brought what strength he could into a desperate attack. His sword connected, and the hollow dissolved. He stared in stunned silence at the spot his opponent had just stood, unable to believe that he had just won.

His disbelief was confirmed a moment later when his own sword vanished. The world around him darkened into a pitch blackness. Night devoid of stars, and in the midst of it, a gigantic mask appeared, jaws sprung wide to receive their prey.

He turned to flee, but however fast he tried to go, the mask seemed to be gaining on him. A sudden burst of speed pushed him even further from it, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Setting his eyes ahead he saw...the mask, charging right for him. He didn't have time to turn or even shout as the massive jaws closed around him.


	6. Chapter Six: One Also Reaps

**Hello, everyone! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. Writing it was almost as difficult as my Calculus work, but it's my longest chapter yet, so I hope you'll forgive me.**

**Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed and followed during my absence. I hope you all enjoy.**

**Chapter Six: ...One Also Reaps**

* * *

_It was a hot summer day in Karakura, leaving the streets empty as people took shelter from the sweltering sun. Almost empty, that is, though there were only a few that would have seen the dark-clothed figure walking down the sidewalk._

_ There was a confidence in her step, as one that knows their own strength, but also a wariness. Her violet eyes glanced to and fro, widening as she approached an intersection. She was, of course, familiar with the cars used by mortals, but ever since her last visit, she found herself wary of them. Long story-short, when your best-friend decides to show off his new driver's license, you learn to appreciate walking._

_ As she waited for the signal to change, allowing her to cross, she realized how silly it was to just stand there waiting. She could simply jump over the street. Perhaps her frequent visits were affecting her judgment. Then again, she was usually using a gigai when visiting, so it could hardly be considered an unreasonable-_

_ "Kuchiki-san!" a cheerful voice called from across the street, interrupting her thoughts._

_ "Hey, Inoue!" she called back, recognizing her brown-haired friend. "What're you-"_

_ She watched, either in shock, dismay, or exasperation, she wasn't quite sure anymore, as her friend began running across the street, narrowly dodging oncoming traffic._

_ "I didn't realize you were coming for a visit," she said happily once she was across, apparently oblivious to the chaos she had just created._

_ "It wasn't planned," Rukia answered. "But you should be more careful!" she added, finally getting over her shock. "You could've been hurt!"_

_ "Eh? Oh you're right!" She turned back to face the street again, calling out "I'm sorry!" to the passing drivers._

_ "So how long are you staying?" she asked, turning back._

_ "Not long, I'm afraid. I only stopped by because I had a mission a few towns over that I finished quickly. Oh! That reminds me, Lieutenant Matsumoto wanted me to give this to you."_

_ She pulled out a small parcel and handed it to Inoue, who opened it eagerly. Inside was a strange concoction. It looked like an éclair, but it had the distinct smell of red bean paste. Rukia wondered if anyone else would be willing to try it._

_ "Woooww! It looks so good!" Inoue cheered happily. "But I thought you weren't planning to visit?"_

_ "Like I said, it's from Lieutenant Matsumoto. She assumes I come here whenever there's a mission to the Living World."_

_ Just then, a shrill roar echoed through the streets. The two looked up to see a large Hollow descending on them. Before it could reach them, however, a blue light pierced its mask, and it dissolved into nothingness._

_ "Letting your guard down just because you're in familiar territory? That's not smart, Kuchiki-san."_

_ Approaching from their right was Ishida, a friendly smile in place, despite his criticizing tone._

_ "Thanks Ishida. I wouldn't have wanted to get worked up over that small fry." She had slipped into her sweet and innocent voice that always annoyed Ichigo, throwing in a shudder for good measure._

_ Inoue giggled, while Ishida's grin turned sheepish._

_ "You've been taking lessons from Kurosaki, haven't you?" he asked._

_ "Why, whatever do you mean?" she continued. "I was only-" A beeping sounded from inside her shihakshuo, interrupting her._

_ She pulled out her pager, and examined the screen, disappointment briefly appearing on her face._

_ "I'm sorry," she said. "Looks like my time's up." She pulled out an envelope and handed it to Ishida. "Give this to Ichigo for me."_

_ "Of course."_

_ "See you both later!" she called as she opened a senkaimon and ran through._

* * *

Rukia woke cold. She was leaning against the icy wall of another tunnel, her arm covered in frost. She moved sluggishly, still not entirely awake, but driven by a sense of danger. Each hall she'd entered was home to at least one trap, be it falling ice spikes or sudden pitfalls. If her dream was anything to go off of, she didn't want to spend any more time here than she needed to.

With each shaky step, she grew more and more aware of the flashing light around her as scenes played out on the walls. She fixed her eyes on the end of the tunnel, refusing to look, but as she did so, her foot slipped on a patch of ice, and she reached out a hand to steady herself. As her hand made contact with the wall, it seemed like a sliver of ice shot through her, and her vision went dark.

* * *

_Large, dark clouds floated overhead, driven by a strong, late summer wind. The trees around the manor offered their applause to the mighty wind. Seated on a small porch overlooking the somber view was Kuchiki Byakuya._

_ He was dressed in dark robes with a green haori draped over his shoulders. A pot of tea sat to his left with two cups, one steaming, the other empty._

_ "Nii-sama?"_

_ Peeking out from a doorway, Rukia stood. Hesitantly waiting permission to approach. At the time, she couldn't see it, but in retrospect, it was easy for her to notice the slight hint of pain her hesitance caused him. Only a couple of weeks prior, he had been ready to watch her executed. Then he had taken a blade for her. His recovery was coming along speedily, and he had already returned to duty, but normalcy had not returned. Perhaps it was because normal had yet to be established. So much had changed in the past months that calling normal "normal" now would be like calling day "night" just because the moon was in the sky._

_ Byakuya gestured to the place beside him, and Rukia seated herself on the porch._

_ "Are you well, Rukia?" he asked as he filled her cup with tea._

_ "Yes, Nii-sama. My power has been returning quickly. I hope to be able to return to duty within the next week."_

_ "I see. That is good to hear. However, do not push yourself too far. I doubt Captain Ukitake would begrudge you a few more days rest."_

_ "Yes, Nii-sama. I would still like to resume my duties as soon as I can. With a war brewing, I need to be at full power." In truth, she wasn't completely recovered, but, while she appreciated her brother's concern, she also wanted to redouble her efforts to please him._

_ "Hm." Whether the sound was assent or annoyance at her insistence, she couldn't tell. Even after fifty years living in the same house, she couldn't read past his mask. Still, his complete turnaround in attitude toward her in the past weeks had been something she had wanted for a long time. Now that it had occurred, she didn't quite know how to proceed._

_The conversation between them stalled into a semi-comfortable silence. There was still an uncomfortable air between them, but it was made more bearable by each one's knowledge that the other was trying, and that knowledge gave Rukia hope that, for the first time in fifty years, she could have a real home._

* * *

She woke again, face down in the snow, a voice inside her shouting at her to escape, but she struggled with it. After the struggle within the labyrinth so far, she wanted nothing more than to sink back into the comfort of her memories. Things were easier then. Why couldn't they stay peaceful?

As soon as the thoughts had come, she regretted them. She knew it was foolish, childish even, but the temptation was there. She pressed her arms beneath herself, grimacing through the pain that shot through her half-frozen body. She pushed forward, it was about a hundred feet to the opening at the end of the tunnel. She could make it, she had to.

She shuffled forward, five feet, ten feet, fifteen...

She pulled up sharply, bracing herself as a wave of darkness sprang from the end of the tunnel, engulfing her like an avalanche. She fought against it as best she could, desperately calling out, she quickly found herself lost in an all too familiar nightmare, and, as is the way with nightmares, she lost all sense of anything outside of her terror.

_Her heart was racing, threatening to burst through her chest. It was dark._

_ Rain fell in a torrential deluge all around her. It was dark._

_ Someone was crying, a shrill lament to the void. It was dark._

_ Someone laughed in maniacal exuberance. It was dark._

_ Raspy breath sounded ahead of her, exhausted and pained. It was dark._

_ She opened her eyes._

_ She stood in the middle of a forest clearing. To her left, Inoue was crouched over two prone figures, weeping as she tried in vain to save them. Rukia felt her heart twist as her friend's face twisted into an expression of inconsolable grief. She didn't dare look at the figures directly. She could tell their identity from their shape, and she didn't want to think about it at the moment. _

_ Ahead of her was the source of the tired breathing. Ichigo stood with his back to her, his shoulders heaving as he tried to pull in air. His shihakusou was drenched, though whether from water or blood, she couldn't tell. In his hand, Tensa Zangetsu's obsidian edge reflected the dim twilight, a sliver of cold rage from the deathly moon reflected on a demented face._

_ Fiery orange markings lined black eyes, standing out on deathly pale visage that would never be expunged from her memory, Shiba Kaien, possessed by Metastacia. Part of her protested that it wasn't possible. He was dead, but the objections never registered as more than simple denial. He was there. He had killed two of her friends. He was pressing Ichigo. She had to help him, but she was just standing there! Again!_

_She watched in horror as her friend charged at her possessed mentor, bringing his zanpakuto around harmlessly as Metastacia danced about just beyond his reach. Ichigo grit his teeth in annoyance pressing harder and harder. Metastacia stopped laughing, and put more effort into dodging._

_ "Getsuga Tenshou!" Ichigo cried, releasing a wave of black energy at his opponent. As he did so, he poured power into his legs, speeding away and behind the creature that now screamed in pain as it pressed back against the lunar fang. It noticed his tactic and raised a hand to fend off the incoming blow, but Ichigo caught the arm with one hand and brought Tensa Zangetsu around with the other only for his sword to vanish into oblivion. He stared in confusion at the spot where his weapon had just been._

_ "Too bad!" the Hollow taunted. "You touched them." _

_ Wrapped around the arm that Ichigo had just caught were several tentacles, writhing grotesquely in his grip. He quickly released the arm and leapt back, receiving a shallow cut across his chest from Metastacia's free arm._

_ 'NO!' Rukia thought. She knew what was coming next, and she would not allow it. She ran for all she was worth, despite knowing what it would mean for herself. The alternative was worse._

_ Ichigo fought hard, even without his sword, executing advanced combinations of human karate and Shinigami hakuda with only a little effort. Metastacia wasn't overwhelmed by the display, but he was obviously being harried. His face twisted into a sneer then a snarl as he struggled to keep up with the furious blows._

_ "You leave me no choice, Shinigami," he stated after gaining some breathing room._

_ Ichigo glared at him in silent consideration. "What do you mean?" he demanded._

_ "THIS!" Even as he shouted, he raised his hands, releasing a swarm of tentacles towards the substitute. Before he could even dodge, they struck flesh, but not his. Rukia stood between them, acting as a shield to her friend._

_ As the tentacles buried themselves inside her, she couldn't even scream. Her icy veins thawed, the glacial streams replaced by rivers of fire. Her mind buzzed with thoughts that weren't her own, evil taking shape, impossible to block out. Worst of all was the pain in her chest, a wrenching, twisting emptiness that left her longing for anything that might fill the void and give her relief._

_ 'Is this what it means to be Hollow?' she thought, despairing in the pain. Then another thought hit her. 'Is this what Ichigo feels whenever he wears his mask?'_

_ Guilt joined the other feelings swirling around inside her, but it was quickly drowned out by a shrill scream. It pierced her very being with an electric shock that stirred the fire in her veins, and as the fire grew, so did the scream. Then she realized that she was the one screaming, but she was powerless to stop. _

_ In that moment, she thought that no fate could be worse than this, not even death._

_ "Rukia!"_

_ The voice just barely cut through her screams, but she couldn't heed it._

_ "Oi, Rukia!" the voice called again, more forceful this time._

_ Her screams died down along with her pain. She opened her eyes to find that there was no clearing, no rain, no dead, just an empty white space._

_ "Are you coming or not!?" the voice asked in irritation. She turned to see Ichigo standing there, dressed in human attire and glaring at her impatiently._

_ "C'mon, idiot. We're gonna be late." He turned and began to walk away._

_ "W-wait! Ichigo!" _

_ "We're already late, let's go!" he called back without turning._

_ Swallowing her last misgivings, she ran after him. She didn't know where he was going, but it had to be better than where she'd been. _

She burst headlong through the arched opening of the tunnel, tumbling into a thick bank of snow. She gathered herself slowly, finding herself disorientated and weary. Behind her, the tunnel still released soft, dancing lights that danced along the walls and ceiling above. She was safe from that danger at the moment and allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. Of all the traps she had faced, that one was the most devious. She made a mental note to give her Zanpakuto a proper scolding when she found her. She must be close now.

Brushing the snow off of her shihakushou, she stood and fixed her eyes on the other side of the chamber. A dark tunnel marked the only exit. A howling noise echoed from within. Bracing herself for what was to come, she entered the next trial….

* * *

Orihime hummed a halfhearted tune as she walked in the dim twilight back to her apartment. After the first day of Rukia's trial, Yoruichi-san had suggested she just head home. It was apparent that they wouldn't be allowed to interfere.

Now she walked home in a sort of melancholy trance, letting her senses wander over the traces of her friends' reiatsus.

_'Kurosaki-kun seems far away again,' _she thought worriedly. _'I wonder if he's with Hachi-san again…' _The thought of him training with the Vizard brought back a feeling of nostalgia. Things had been difficult and dangerous back then, but even in the danger there had been a ray of hope. Now though, they didn't know who they were fighting or why.

On top of the trepidation she felt she was also acutely aware of a growing sense of failure within herself. After seventeen months of training, she had become strong. Even her offensive abilities, which normally lagged far behind her shield and healing powers, had grown more refined and dangerous. She had worked hard to be more effective in protecting her friends with her own powers instead of constantly needing rescue.

Instead, when Ichigo had needed her most, she had been a pawn used to hurt him. Even now, Rukia was risking her life training to become stronger, and here she was, sent home because she couldn't help. It was infuriating.

"Oh, that smells lovely." A voice crooned from an alleyway.

Orihime was used to perverts trying to take advantage of her when she would walk alone. They always got more than they bargained for. She would only use enough force to knock them out, and she would heal any serious injuries she inflicted. She wasn't afraid of guys like that anymore. Now, however, the voice sent shivers down her spine.

A tall figure stepped out of the shadows, wearing a dark cloak. He had an oddly shaped body, his arms were small, but his legs were large. His face was marred with hideous scars, one of which took the shape of a dragonfly resting on his puffy cheeks. His eyes were black, and there were black smears under them as though he had been crying.

"I can tell that Netami's seed is slowly taking root," he said, taking a big whiff of air, "but your disappointment, your guilt, smells so lovely. I'm afraid I simply can't resist."

"What are you talking about?" she demanded, getting ready to summon her power. "What seed?"

"Oh, I'm not going to tell you that." He said with a chuckle. "It is going to be so fun to watch when it blooms."

"What do you want with me then?"

"Oh, you see, I already told you. I guess you weren't listening." As he spoke, he walked forward nonchalantly, not even making eye contact until he found himself blocked by a glowing shield.

"That's close enough," she said coolly. "I don't know what you're planning, but I won't let you-"

"Won't let me what?" he interrupted. "Won't let me go? Won't let me succeed? You people are really very predictable, sticking to your lofty ideals of valour. Even you, the least capable in battle would spout out such arrogant nonsense! You really are so easy to guess."

His tone had shifted, becoming darker and more sinister. He reached out a hand and a shaft of darkness shot towards the golden shield. Orihime winced as she had to focus more power into it to keep the already present cracks from spreading.

_'Tsubaki!' _she thought desparately. Another light formed at the center of her shield as she cried out, "Shiten Koshun, I reject!"

A blazing spear of gold raced outward and struck the man in the chest, sending him flying backwards several yards before returning to the shield.

Orihime watched cautiously, not ready to lower her defenses until she knew he was defeated. To her horror, he stood and began brushing himself off.

"My, my, that is a nasty trick, even by my standards," he crooned. "I think I should actually take you seriously."

She didn't understand what he meant by that, nor did she have time to ponder it, because suddenly he was in front of her, his eyes boring into her like obsidian daggers. She found herself unable to move, sinking deeper and deeper into her own desperation as she tried to find the strength to move, to fight!

A flash of light lit the corner of her vision and her opponent broke off, dodging a blast of destructive energy.

"You really shouldn't be attacking us," a deep voice warned.

She turned to see Sado standing a couple of yards away, Fullbring active, coming closer.

"Sado-kun…"

"I'm sorry, I'm late," he said. "I came as soon as I felt your reiatsu. Now," he began, turning to her attacker. "Why were you attacking Inoue?"

"Oh, no reason," he answered breezily, though his grin seemed more forced than before.

"I'm not sure I believe you," Sado said testily. The man simply stared back, nervous grin still plastered on his face. Inoue watched in confusion and concern. Why was this man suddenly so reluctant to fight? He had completely overwhelmed her in moments, but now he seemed afraid to make any move.

Apparently noticing this reluctance, Sado moved for him, white armor encasing his left arm as he charged. An explosion rocked the area, throwing dust and debris into the air.

"My my," the man said whimsically from a few yards away. "I think you might play a bit too rough for my taste. I'll see ya later, girl."

With that, he winked at her and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Sado called back, releasing his _El Directo _at the retreating figure. The man ignored it, disappearing an instant before it struck. Sado stared at the smoking crater in the street, apparently waiting to see that his opponent was really gone.

"Thank you, Sado-kun," Orihime said, breaking his focus.

"No problem. I think these things want to fight us when we're alone. The last two that were fighting Ishida also left quickly when we showed up."

"I think you're right. But what are they after? They've done nothing but cause trouble for us. I don't think anyone has been seriously hurt except…except for Urahara-san…"

"Yeah, and he was alone when he was attacked, which makes it seem more likely that they're afraid of attacking us when we have help. By the way, aren't you supposed to be helping Kuchiki-san train?"

"Well, it turns out her training doesn't really let me help much," she answered sadly.

"Still, I think you should go back there. It's safer, and when she's done, she'll need to recover quickly."

"You're right!" she declared, perking up again. "Even if I can't help her directly, I can still cheer her on!"

"Yeah," he said, grinning at her exuberance. "Let's go, I'll take you back there."

* * *

Hiyori grit her teeth against the strain on her power. Each of the Vizard stood at one corner of the barrier with Hachi holding the spell together. Each of them wore a mask and poured every last ounce of their reiatsu into the gleaming prison.

They all watched, helpless as sable waves of reiatsu burst against the interior of the barrier. If even one of them moved, the cage would shatter, but if they didn't move, they couldn't call for help.

Hiyori hated the thought. While Shinji and Kensei had been willing to forgive the Gotei and return, she wasn't so soft. While she didn't harbor the same hatred of them that she had before, she still couldn't stand the sight of them. Now, all she could think of was contacting Shinji for help. It made her want to gag.

Still, it wouldn't do for her to be distracted. That barrier had to hold.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a pair of glowing eyes that appeared from behind the waves of darkness. As soon as she made eye contact, she felt fear like she had never known. It wasn't a rational fear, she knew that the barrier was still in place. As long as it was there, she was safe from the thing inside. No, this fear was far more primal. It was the fear of a rabbit that sees the eagle descending. The fear of a child, alone in the dark and surrounded by strange noises. She couldn't stand it!

"Hiyori!" Love called. "Solidify your reiatsu!"

With a start, she realized that the distraction had caused her to lessen her focus on the barrier. It shuddered and creaked against the turmoil inside. She focused again, adding her power to the barrier, but it was too late. A feral roar rang out from the cage and the Hollow emerged.

Faster than a thunderclap, it brought Tensa Zangetsu against the barrier, shattering it like glass. She reached for her sword, drawing it out halfway before it shattered. She looked down at it in shock, and toppled over as blood poured out of her chest. It happened too fast for her to see, and now she was lying on the ground, bleeding out helplessly as she heard her friends fighting and falling around her. Then her vision went black.

* * *

Rukia braced herself against the howling wind. The blizzard had been raging for hours with no end in sight. Given the contrast between this trial and the previous ones, she was either getting closer, or couldn't be further away. Nothing had emerged from the whiteness to tempt or to attack her. After her experiences in the labyrinth, she found this only added to her paranoia.

"Well!?" she shouted into the howling wind. "What are you waiting for!? You don't expect me to freeze, do you?! Come out already!"

For a moment, she felt silly, yelling at the air, but then a voice whispered in her ear.

"Impatient, are we?"

She spun and released a blast of red fire into the storm. It vanished into the haze without a sound or a sign of connecting with her target.

"I'll take that as a yes," the voice whispered from the other direction.

Rukia spun and released another spell with the same effect. Nothing.

"In answer to your previous question," the voice spoke again, echoing all around her. "Yes, I do expect you to freeze."

Rukia didn't answer, instead fixing a determined look on her face as she ran deeper into the storm. She would not freeze. She would not die. She would win. Still, her Zanpakuto's insistence on attacking her so as to avoid a fight was odd. She had been told to find and defeat her, but now, having apparently found her, she wasn't fighting.

"Why don't you face me!?" she called again. "I've navigated this maze! I've seen the traps you set, the mockeries of my fears and bonds! Show yourself already!"

"Very well," the voice came again, but this time it was solid and steel.

Rukia spun, "Hado #33, SOKATSUI!"

The blue fireball raced towards the voice, cutting through the wind and the snow to reveal Sode no Shiraiyuki. Her Zanpakuto raised her sword and deflected the blast with ease.

"Mockeries you say?" Her voice was cold with anger and challenge. "How have I mocked you?"

"You manipulated me. You-"

"That wasn't me," she interrupted. "What you faced here was nothing less than what is in your heart. I told you that at the start. Or is it so hard to accept?"

"You mean-"

"Enough talk," she interrupted again. "You wanted to fight, so let's fight."

Sode no Shiraiyuki charged at her master, blade extended. Rukia barely managed to sidestep it, instead receiving a firm kick to her midsection. She rolled hard, unable to get a grip on the snow to right herself. She had only just recovered when another strike came in, this time scoring a thin cut along her right arm.

"Dissapointing," Sode no Shiraiyuki said.

Rukia didn't answer. Instead, she chanted.

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens, Hado #73, Soren Sokatsui!"

The spell lit the entire area, temporarily dispelling the storm with its power and heat. Rukia watched as her Zanpakuto emerged from the blast, singed and breathing heavily, but otherwise unharmed.

"Your brother's training seems to have had some benefits," she said. "But that's still not enough."

Her brother's training? She paused, grasping at a stirring memory. There was something her brother had told her once. Months ago when she had first begun training to achieve Bankai.

_"Bankai is first and foremost the complete subjugation of one's power," _he had said. _"But more than that, it requires the complete understanding and acceptance of what that power is."_

_ "I expect you to freeze," _Sode no Shiraiyuki had said.

"I understand," Rukia said simply.

Sode no Shiraiyuki simply stared at her in confusion.

"Come then, let's end this," she finished. Then she charged.

* * *

Things had been quiet in the training room. So naturally, Inoue was startled by the explosion. The icy dome that had dominated the area cracked down the middle and shattered with a deafening _BOOM!, _and a pillar of ice and snow shot skyward. Her shield was up in an instant, protecting herself and Yoruichi from the flying shards of ice and stone.

_"What happened?" _she thought in surprise. _"Is Kuchiki-san okay?"_

As if in answer to her thoughts, the mist began to clear and she saw her friend. Her skin and hair were pure white, a shocking contrast to her black robes. A sword protruded from her chest, held by the same pale figure that she had learned was the embodiment of her friend's Zanpakuto.

Then she understood.

"No!" she cried in rage and despair. "Tsubaki!"

The fairy appeared, glowing with power to match her rage, and he charged. The ground broke away beneath him as he closed the distance, but a wall of ice rose from the cracks and encased him in a frozen vice.

"Tsubaki-kun!" Orihime cried. She was about to run after him when a hand settled on her shoulder. Yoruichi was there, still watching the scene before them.

"Watch," she ordered.

Orihime didn't know how she could just sit there and watch, but then she heard the woman speak.

"You did well," she said. Then she disappeared along with the sword, and Rukia collapsed.

As soon as Rukia hit the ground, Yoruichi released her. She ran forward, already calling out her Sōten Kisshun. Before she arrived, though, Rukia was stirring, reaching for the sword at her side.

"Don't move Kuchiki-san!" Orihime called. "Just stay still and let me heal you!"

"Thank you, Inoue," Rukia said tiredly, giving her friend a slight smile as she reached her. "I'll be okay though."

"It won't hurt to let her restore your reiatsu, though," Yoruichi said.

"You're right, but I think a nap and some food would be better."

"Tsk, you're almost as bad as Ichigo was. When he achieved Bankai, he almost immediately demanded some food. He forgot about it pretty quick, though, once I reminded him of the time."

"So, you did it," Orihime asked.

"Yeah, I think so."

"That's-"

She was interrupted by a sudden weight in the air.

"No…," she said in shock. "No, it can't be…not this…."

Rukia understood, even as the tears formed in her friend's eyes. Her eyes met Yoruichi's and she voiced their mutual understanding.

"Ichigo."


End file.
